Eco-carton

ABSTRACT

The Eco-Carton is constructed of a paperboard core with an outside mineralized barrier coating and with an inside aluminum film moisture barrier covered with an inside mineralized barrier coating to prevent the liquid from contacting the aluminum layer. The reduction of low density polyethylene plastic film from the composition of the Eco-Carton provides better recyclability of the used product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to a paper based gable top beveragecarton utilizing a mineral based coating as a moisture barrier.

Commercial beverages (non-alcoholic) are frequently sold in recyclablepaper based containers. The eco-carton introduces a unique mineralizedbarrier coating that reduces and replaces the polyethylene plasticcoating currently in common use on all other cartons. The environmentalbenefit of using less plastic is readily quantifiable in terms of thereduction in carbon emissions and VOCs (volatile organic compounds)placed into the atmosphere that occurs during the processing ofpetroleum into plastic resins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Commercial beverages (milk, juice, sodas, and other non-alcoholicbeverages) started in transparent glass containers. Once people learnedto trust the brand, the industry turned to a more practical and lessexpensive solution, the paper based carton. When the carton firstarrived, with milk and orange juice predominantly, it co-existed on theshelf with the glass bottle offerings for years.

Paper based beverage cartons have long been in use as one of the firstpractical alternatives to the glass bottle. These cartons wereoriginally coated with wax, both inside and out as a moisture barrier.The problem with the wax coating is that it prevented the carton frombeing recycled as the wax could not be separated from the paper fibersduring the pulping process. In the last twenty years this wax basedcoating has been replaced in common use by a coating of LDPE (lowdensity polyethylene plastic) film.

Unfortunately the LDPE coating emits significant VOCs into the airduring the paper recycling process, requiring expensive scrubberinstallations in facilities to meet toxic emission requirements. Thishas had the undesirable effect of making existing cartons difficult andless attractive to recycle.

Evolving technology has provided us with other coatings built aroundminerals such as calcium carbonate that can reduce and replace the useof LDPE. These mineral based coatings have been in use with paperpackaging products for cold storage and frozen meat, fish and poultryproducts, as well as a coating for paper based dish ware. These mineralbased coatings have not been used for liquid products, the industrybeing resistive to changing away from the LDPE products now in use.These mineral based coatings are much more environmentally friendly andallow for significant improvement for the recyclability of the carton.

Traditionally, mixed grade paper barrier packaging applications arecoated with 100% polyethylene and other similar materials, which makethe resulting products poor candidates for recycling because of thedifficulty recyclers have separating the plastic coating from thepaperboard.

By contrast, mixed grade paper barrier packaging applications using amineral base provide a great potential for post-consumer recyclabilitybecause they can be processed through the paper recycling stream as ifthere were little or no coating on them at all. Paperboards with amineral based coating offer a recyclable alternative for anypolyethylene-coated paper packaging materials.

PRIOR ART

The prior art has shown several related containers and material.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,173, issued to Peer, Jr., for a Composite MaterialFor Secondary Container Packaging.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,229, issued to Martin, for a Method Of Making ALaminated Sheet Product.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,358, issued to Takaoka et al., for a InsulatingPaper Sheet Of Synthetic Resin Flakes And Natural.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,004, issued to Ajioka et al., for a DegradableLaminate Composition.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,414, issued to Tilton, for a Plastic, Flexible FilmAnd Paperboard Product-Retention Package.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,248, issued to Goto et al., for a ThermoplasticComposite Composition Reinforced With Mica And Wooden Fiber Filler.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,249, issued to Sears et al., for a Methods Of MakingComposites Containing Cellulosic Pulp Fibers.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,787,205, issued to Aho et al., for a Coated PaperboardProcess For Manufacturing The Same And Products Obtained Thereof.

U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0052987, filed by Shetty et al., fora Paper Based Retortable Can And Method For Making Same.

U.S. Published Application No. 2005/0203208, filed by Ruiz, for aBiologically And Photochemically Degradable Polymeric Compositions AndFilm.

U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0198987, filed by Grob et al., for aMultiple Layer Laminate.

U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0251876, filed by Goerlitz et al.,for a Sealable, Multilayer, Coextruded Packaging Film, Its Use AndProcess For Its Production.

U.S. Published Application No. 2010/0137493, filed by Tilton, for a HighMineral Content Film For Sealing.

European Patent No. EP 0 81 1 508, issued to Westvaco Corporation, for aMoisture Resistant Frozen Food Packaging Using An Over-Print Varnish.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a paper based gable top beveragecarton utilizing a mineral based coating as a moisture barrier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved acarton that is more environmentally friendly all along the supply chain,from its initial sourcing of materials to the end of life disposability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcarton that has a reduction of polyethylene that greatly improves therecyclability of the carton.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcarton with a mineralized barrier coating that eliminates the need touse a 100% plastic coating on the inside and outside layers of thecarton.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcarton that will provide everyone with an opportunity to act moresustainably and become partners in disrupting the cycle of plasticpollution.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedcarton that will empower the consumer to participate in the solution tothe very real social problem of plastic waste and its toxic impact.

It is an object of the present invention to use low cost minerals in theresin blend used in the mineral based coatings, offsetting traditional100% resin blends, thus providing a material cost savings.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a superior barrierperformance, resulting in an lower gauge coat weights, leading to sourcereduction and potential cost savings.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the large percentageof plastic by weight that would otherwise be found in a carton withtraditional polyethylene coating.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description, when taken in connectionwith the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut-away view showing the construction of the cartonmaterial.

FIG. 2 is a view of the carton flat.

FIG. 3 is a view of the assembled carton.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Itis chosen and described to best explain the invention so that others,skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, might utilize itsteachings.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a cut-awayview showing the construction of the carton 1. The structural core ofthe carton 1 is a layer of paperboard 2. The outside of the carton 1 iscovered with a mineralized barrier coating 3. The mineralized barrierlayer is a highly mineralized resin alternative to traditionalpolyethylene barrier coatings for paperboard packaging applications. Themineralized barrier coating is a flexible film composite suitable foruse as a primary or secondary packaging material. The mineral materialbeing selected from the group consisting of ground calcium carbonate,diatomaceous earth, mica, silica, glass, zeolyte, slate, or possiblycombinations of the above. In addition to the mineral-containing layer,the composite can contain one or more non-mineral containing layers,including various combinations of extruded resins. Themineral-containing layer is substantially and continuously bonded to theother layers. The inside of the carton 1 has a moisture barrier 4 whichis connected to the paperboard 2 by a mineralized adhesive layer 5. Themineralized adhesive layer is a heat sealable layer of the flexible filmcomposite including at least one mineral-containing layer and containinga thermoplastic bonding agent, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE).Because the material contains thermoplastic content as a bonding agent(albeit reduced content) it is compatible with the industry standardsealing methods, allowing for efficient filling and sealing during thepackaging process. The moisture barrier 4 is an aluminum film. Thealuminum film is separated and recaptured during the recycling process.Another mineralized barrier coating 6 is connected to the moisturebarrier 4 by another mineralized adhesive layer 7. The mineralizedbarrier coating 6 prevent the liquid inside the carton 1 from coming incontact with the aluminum moisture barrier 4. Finishing the constructionof the carton 1 is a plastic cap 8. The plastic cap 8 is preferably madeof a non-BPA (Bisphenol A) plastic material.

FIG. 2 shows an unassembled carton flat 9. The flat 9 has an opening 10for the installation of the plastic cap 8 (not shown in FIG. 2). Thefold lines 11 are for forming the assembled carton 12. The flat 9 isfolded along the fold lines 11 to form the assembled carton 12 shown inFIG. 3. The top, bottom and edge of the carton are sealed in aconvention manner.

Although the Eco-Carton and the method of using the same according tothe present invention has been described in the foregoing specificationwith considerable details, it is to be understood that modifications maybe made to the invention which do not exceed the scope of the appendedclaims and modified forms of the present invention done by othersskilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be consideredinfringements of this invention when those modified forms fall withinthe claimed scope of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is:
 1. A carton for holding liquidscomprising: a paper board core layer, an outside mineralized barriercoating, an inside moisture barrier, and an inside mineralized barriercoating, said inside moisture barrier being positioned between saidpaperboard core layer and said inside mineralized barrier coating. 2.The carton for holding liquids as claimed in claim 1, wherein a firstmineralized adhesive layer is positioned between said paperboard corelayer and said inside moisture barrier.
 3. The carton for holdingliquids as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second mineralized adhesivelayer is positioned between said inside moisture barrier and said insidemineralized barrier coating.
 4. The carton for holding liquids asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said inside moisture barrier comprises analuminum film.
 5. The carton for holding liquids as claimed in claim 1,wherein said outside mineralized barrier coating comprises a firstflexible film composite, said first flexible film composite comprising aleast one mineral material selected from the group consisting of groundcalcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth, mica, silica, glass, zeolyte, andslate.
 6. The carton for holding liquids as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid inside mineralized barrier coating comprises a second flexible filmcomposite, said second flexible film composite comprising a least onemineral material selected from the group consisting of ground calciumcarbonate, diatomaceous earth, mica, silica, glass, zeolyte, and slate.7. The carton for holding liquids as claimed in claim 2, wherein saidfirst mineralized adhesive layer comprises a heat sealable layer of afirst flexible film composite including at least one mineral-containinglayer and containing a thermoplastic bonding agent.
 8. The carton forholding liquids as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second mineralizedadhesive layer comprises a heat sealable layer of a second flexible filmcomposite including at least one mineral-containing layer and athermoplastic bonding agent.
 9. The carton for holding liquids asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said carton comprises a gable top carton.10. A carton for holding liquids comprising: a paper board core layer,an outside mineralized barrier coating, said outside mineralized barriercoating comprising a first flexible film composite, said first flexiblefilm composite comprising a least one mineral material selected from thegroup consisting of ground calcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth, mica,silica, glass, zeolyte, and slate, a first mineralized adhesive layer,said first mineralized adhesive layer comprising a heat sealable layerof a second flexible film composite including at least onemineral-containing layer and containing a thermoplastic bonding agent,an inside moisture barrier, said inside moisture barrier comprising analuminum film, a second mineralized adhesive layer, said secondmineralized adhesive layer comprising a heat sealable layer of a thirdflexible film composite including at least one mineral-containing layerand a thermoplastic bonding agent, and an inside mineralized barriercoating, said inside mineralized barrier coating comprising a fourthflexible film composite, said second flexible film composite comprisinga least one mineral material selected from the group consisting ofground calcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth, mica, silica, glass,zeolyte, and slate, said inside moisture barrier being positionedbetween said paperboard core layer and said inside mineralized barriercoating, said first mineralized adhesive layer being positioned betweensaid paperboard core layer and said inside moisture barrier, said secondmineralized adhesive layer being positioned between said inside moisturebarrier and said inside mineralized barrier coating.
 11. The carton forholding liquids as claimed in claim 10, wherein said carton comprises agable top carton.